Can body straightening machine



y ,1959 'A. G. LUTHI 2,895,530

CAN BODY STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

440/5 6. [arm July 21, 1959 A. e. LUTHI 2,895,530

CAN BODY STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. 440/5 61 [0719/ irrae/vars July 21, 1959 A. cs. LUTHI2,895,530-

CAN BODY STRYAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28. 1955 :s Sheets-Sheet 31IN V EN TOR. #1046 61 10767 IffdP/VEY5 United States Patent CAN BODYSTRAIGHTENING MACHINE Alois G. Luthi, Gardena, Calif., assignor to LuthiMachinery & Engineering Co., Inc., Gardens, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,353

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-54) This invention relates to can body straighteningmachines, and more particularly to a machine for smoothing out dentsinthe walls and edges of damaged can bodies prior to the fillingthereof. The present application is a continuation-in-part of my priorapplication Serial No. 403,227, entitled, Can Straightening Machine,filed January 11, 1954, now abandoned.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a machine by whichdented can bodies may be straightened to usable condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine adaptable foruse with a variety of sizes and shapes of bodies, and in which thevarious parts may be adjusted in conformity with the can bodies: to betreated.

A further object is to provide a machine by which dents may be removedfrom a flanged open end of a can body as well as from the wall portionproper.

It is also an object to provide a machine in which pressure is appliedto move a can body axially onto a mandrel in conjunction with themovement of straightening rollers against the side walls of the can.

A still further object is to provide a machine in which can bodies maybe placed upon a power driven mandrel by mechanism manually controlledto engage and disengage cans carried by the mandrel.

The invention has other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be explained in the followingdescription of that form. of the invention illustrated in the drawings.It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiment shown in the drawings, as the device may be embodied in otherforms Within the definition of the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a can body straightening machine embodyingmy invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, the mandrelbeing omitted;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view with the smoothing rollers in anintermediate position, the plane of the section being indicated by theline 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '5 is a fragmental sectional detail view, the plane of the sectionbeing indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 1.

In terms of broad conclusion, the can body straightening machine of thisinvention comprises a power driven rigid mandrel shaped to conform tothe interior of a can body and a pair of straightening rollers movableto press the can body against the mandrel for removing dents from thecan body wall. The mandrel is provided with a rim against which theexpanded edge of a can body may be pressed by the ends of said pair ofrollers for removing dents from the edge. A can body holding roller ismounted for pivotal movement in conjunction with the straighteningrollers. The holding roller is mounted for rotational movement about anaxis at right angles to the axes of said pair of rollers and is adaptedto yieldably press the can body downwardly onto the mana: CC

drel as it is rotated thereby past the pair of straightening rollers.

The invention contemplates a unit in which a mandrel of desired size andshape, may be replaceably mounted upon a power driven shaft forstraightening cans of various sizes and shapes, the mounting means forthe straightening rollers and the can body holding roller each beingadjustable to conform to the various sizes of mandrel.

In terms of greater detail, the device of the present inventioncomprises a base frame 10 within which is housed a motor 12 geared to apower-driven mandrel shaft 13. The shaft 13 is mounted in a verticalposition by suitable bearings 14 set within the ends of housingextensions 15 and 16 below and above the top wall of the hon-sing frame10, respectively, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The motor 12is preferably connected to the shaft 13 by means of a Worm 17 secured tothe motor shaft and meshing with a gear 18 secured to the lower end ofthe shaft 13.

Upon the upper end of the driven shaft 13 is removably mounted a mandrel19, keyed or otherwise replaceably secured to the shaft and driventhereby, and arranged to receive a can body 29. The mandrel 19 isaxially recessed to seat upon the upwardly extending end of the powerdriven shaft 13. The lower end of the mandrel 19 is provided with a rim21 and a smooth and accurately finished fillet 22 which extends entirelyaround the mandrel at the juncture of the mandrel 19 and rim 21. It iscontemplated that the mandrels 19 will be made to conform to theinterior of can bodies: 20 of various sizes and shapes, a selectedmandrel being mountable upon the shaft 13 to conform to the size and.style of the can body to be straightened.

The frame 10' is provided with an upwardly extending: bracket 24, boltedor otherwise suitably secured to the: base frame 10, in spaced relationto the shaft 13. A carriage member 26 is adjustably mounted upon thebracket 24. As illustrated, the carriage member 26 is provided with astem 27 extending horizontally through a bearing portion 28 formed uponthe back of the bracket 24. The axis of the stem 27 and bearing 28 ispositioned to intersect the axis of the mandrel 19 and shaft 13 at rightangles. Pins 29, upon opposite sides of the carriage '26, extendoutwardly through slots 31 formed in the side of the bracket 24. Nuts32, or other suitable securing means, are provided for securing thecarriage in adjusted position upon the bracket to conform to varioussizes of mandrels placed upon the shaft 13.

A pair of can body straightening rollers 34 are journalled between arms35 and 35a at the upper and lower ends, respectively, of a mountingframe designated in general by the numeral 36. The frame 36 is pivotallyconnected to the carriage 26 by means of upper and lower connectinglinks 37 and 38, respectively. The upper links 37 are pivotallyconnected to the carriage 26 by means of pivot pins 39, and to the frame36 by pivot pins 40. The lower links 38 are secured to a shaft 41extending transversely across the bottom portion of the carriage 26. Thefree ends of the lower links 38 are pivoted to the frame 36 near itslower end. by pivot pins 42. The distance between the center of thepivot pins 39 and 40 is equal to the distance between the center of theshaft 41 and the center of the pivot pin 42. The frame 36 is supportedupon the lever links 37 and 38 and is movable thereby along an arcuatepath without being moved out of parallelism with the shaft 13 andmandrel 19. An actuating lever arm 43 is secured to the shaft 41 at oneside of the bracket 24 for manually actuating the lower links 38 and theframe 36..

In order to hold the can body 20 downwardly on the mandrel 19, a roller44 is adjustabliy mounted on the, frame 36 and is adapted to pressdownwardly on the upper edge of the can body. The roller 44 is rotatablymounted on a bracket 45: slidably received in a vertical slot 46 formedin the front face of a vertical post 47 fixed: to the frame 3'6. A stud48- extends through a longitudinally extending slot 49' inthe bracket 45a-nd isthreadedly received in any one of a plurality of holes 50 spacedlongitudinally along the post 47.

In operation, a mandrel 1-9, of a size conforming tothe can bodies 20 tobe straightened, is: placed upon the driven shaft 13. The carriage 26 isthen adjusted upon the bracket24 to. a position such that the rollers 34carried by the frame 36 may be moved pivotally by the actuating arm 47-3to engage a can body 20- upon the; mandrel 19: in the manner illustratedin Fig. l of the drawings. While the shaft 13 and mandrel 19 are beingrotated at a reduced speed by the motor 12 through. the worm: 17' andworm gear 18, the actuating arm 43: is swung upwardly through an angleofabout 45 to 60; This causes a corresponding rotation of the shaft 41and a corresponding pivotal movement of the lower frame supporting links33, thereby causingthe roller supporting;

frame 36 to be moved upwardly and away from the mandrel to a positionsuchas indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Since the frame 36 is linkedto the carriage at top and bottom by connecting links of equal length,the rollers 3,4 willbe maintained parallel tothe mandrelthroughout' thisupward and outward movement.

While the rollers 34 and supporting frame 36 are thus displaced, a canbody 24 is moved onto the mandrel, and the actuating arm 43 is swungback to its starting position. of the can and presses it bodilydownwardly onto the mandrel. At the same time, the rollers 34, aremoved. to: press against the side walls of the can. As the can isrotated relative to the rollers 34, sufficient pressure is, appliedmanually through the actuating lever 43'to cause dents in the wall ofthe can to; be rolled smooth. At the same time, the can body 2% ispressed axially downwardly on the mandrel by the roller 44, so thatlower edges of the rollers 3-!- may press. the extreme edge of the canbody 2'!) against the fillet 22 along the juncture of the rim 21 and thebody of the mandrel 19. Sufficient pressure is applied to remove anydents which may. have been formed in the edge of the can body 20,

and to shape the edge to a slightly outwardly flared condition such ascommonly provided on can bodies. before the tops are applied.

The straightening rollers 34. are preferably made of vulcanized rubberhaving a density of about 6070. The lower ends of the rollers arepreferably provided with: metal caps 54:: machined to conform to thefillet 2-2, and which act as a die for shaping the flared end of thecan. This action is aided by the pressure applied. by the roller 44; topress against the closed end of the can. body 29,. and the resultantforce produced by pressure applied by the actuating arm- 43 to move thestraightening rollers 34. radially toward the axis of the mandrel 19 andaxially downwardly along the path defined by the swinging movement ofthe supporting links 38.

After a can body is straightened, the arm 4-3 is swung upwardly topermit removal of the straightened can body and the placing of anothercan body on the mandrel in its place.

While I have shown and described the preferred form. of the invention,it is obvious that various changes may be made in its construction bythose skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of theinvention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,,what I. claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. A can body straightening; machine, comprising a,

body, a mandrel mounted on said shaft and shaped tofit closely within acan body placed thereon and having a rim portion conforming to anexpanded edge of the can body, a bracket mounted adjacent the mandreland shaft, a roller carriage adjustably mounted upon the bracket, a pairof can body straightening rollers and having end portions complementaryin shape to the rim portion of i said mandrel, means mounting saidrollers upon the car- As this is done, the roller 44 engages the topriage parallel to the mandrel and shaft for movement axially andradially of said mandrel, an actuating, lever mounted upon the carriagefor moving the pair of rollers into and out of engagement with andaxially of the side wall of a can body upon the mandrel, and athirdroller rotatably mounted on said mounting means between said pair ofrollers for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axes of saidpair of rollers for engagement with the end of said can, said thirdroller being adapted to press said can body axially onto said mandrel.

2. A can body straightening machine comprising a main frame, a powerdriven shaft rotatably mounted insaid frame, a mandrel coaxially mountedon said shaft, said mandrel being shaped to fit closely within a canbody placed thereon and having a rim portion conforming to an expandededge of the can body, a carriage, means for adjustably mounting saidcarriage on said mainframe at predetermined spaced distances from theaxis of said shaft, a roller frame, a pair of can body straighteningrollersv having endportions complementary in shape to the rim portion ofsaid mandrel, means rotatably mountingsaid. rollers on said roller framewith the axes of said rollers being parallel to the axis of said shaftand mandrel, link means. supporting said roller frame onsaid carriagefor swinging movement of said roller frame through an arcute path Whilemaintaining the axes of said rollers in parallelism to the axis of said,shaft: and mandrel, said link means including a pair of spaced apart,parallel. and. equal-length links each pivotally connecting said' rollerframe tosaid' carriage with the pivotal connect-ions of said links tosaid carriage being on a line parallel to the axis.of said. shaft,manually operablemeans for moving said roller frame through said arcutepath tomove said rollers into and out of engagement with the side. wallsof a can body upon said mandrel, and meanscarried by said roller framefor engaging the end of said can to presssaid can. body axially ontosaid mandrel as said pair of rollers engages the side walls: of saidcan-body;

3. A can. body straightening machine comprising a main. frame, a powerdriven shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, a mandrel: coaxially.mounted on said shaft", said mandrel being shaped to fit closely withina can=body placed? thereon andzhaving a portion conforming to anexpanded edge of the can body, a carriage, meansdor ad+ justablymounting said carriage on said: main. frame at predetermined: spaced,distances from the axis of. said shaft, a roller frame, a pair of canbody straightening rollers having end portions complementary. in shapeto the rimportion of said mandrel, means rotatably mounting said rollerson said roller frame with theaxes. of: said: rollers being parallel tothe axis of said shaft and manzdrel, link. means'supporting said rollerframe on said: carriage for swinging movement of said roller framethrough an arcuate path while maintaining the axes of said rollers in,parallelism to the axis'of said shaft and'mandrel, said link meansincluding a pair of spaced apart, parallel and equal-length links eachpivotally connecting, said roller frame to said carriage with thepivotal connections; of. said links to-said carriage being on a lineparallel tothe.

axis of said shaft, manually operable meansf'or moving saidroller framethrough said'arcuate path to move saidrollers into and outof engagementwith the side walls of a can body upon said mandrel, and a thirdrollenrotat: ably mounted onsaidroller frame between said pair ofrollers for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axes; of, saidpair of rollers for engagement with the endof said can-,said. thirdroller being adapted to;pr.ess,=said;

5 can body axially onto said mandrel as said pair of rollers 1,962,166engages the side walls of said can body. 2,432,658

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5565,198

1,930,562 Krueger Oct. 17, 1933 6 Yost June 12, 1934 Coyle Dec. 16, 1947FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 31, 1944

